Portable partition with telescoping tube support



Oct. 31, 1967 J. A. SALT 3,

PORTABLE PARTITION WITH TELESCOPING TUBE SUPPORT Filed June 17, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN A. SALT.

BY/QLWWW ATTORNEY J. A. SALT Oct. 31, 1967 PORTABLE PARTITION WITHTELESCOPING TUBE SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1966 INVENTORJOHN A. SALT J BY ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,349,528 PORTABLE PARTITION WITH TELESCOPING TUBESUPPORT John A. Salt, 15450 SW. 67th Court, Miami, Fla. 33157 Filed June17, 1966, Ser. N0. 558,314 10 Claims. (Cl. 524-239) This inventionrelates to a more particularly, to a portable partition adapted for usein auditoriums, art galleries, and offices.

As is perhaps well known, it is quite often a problem to partition anoffice or an art gallery satisfactorily and once partitioned it is oftenrequired that adjustments be made in the partitioning.

The present invention relates and has as an object the provision of apartition for large spaces which is adapted to be readily installed andwhich may be adjusted from time to time or removed in a relativelyinexpensive operation.

Itis, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a portablepartition for positioning between the floor and ceiling of a large areawhich comprises a frame, panels overlaying the frame, means carried bythe frame to urge the partition against the floor and including means toengage the ceiling to steady the panel in a predetermined position.

It is a general object of this invention to' provide a portablepartition structure which is simple in construe tion, inexpensive tomanufacture, and which may be readily and rapidly installed and removedor altered as to position in a large room and into various sections andto provide wall space for the hanging of pictures thereon.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparenthereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE '1 is a perspective view of an area having portable partitionsadjusted between the floor and the ceiling;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the partitions with one of theoverlaying panels removed to show the details of construction;

FIGURE 3 is a view, partly in cross section, and illustrating the'meansto connect the partition between the floor and the ceiling;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged top plan view of that portion of FIG. 2 seen atthe upper left thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated bythe line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevation view looking at the lower medialportion of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 7 is a bottom perspective view to illustrate the lower portion ofthe instant invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the different views, andreferring particularly to FIGURE 1, the numeral 12 generally designatesa wall composed of panels such as 14, 1-6, 18 and 20, which arepositioned in upstanding relation on a floor 22 in a wall-definingrelation and connected in said relation by connecting means generallydesignated 24 which engage the ceiling 26 of the room in whichinstalled.

The invention will be more clearly understood on reference to FIGURE 2wherein it is seen that the frame comprises four framing members 28, 30,32 and 34 which are preferably of the size referred to as one by four (1x 4) pieces of wood in the trade. The framing members are joinedtogether by suitable means, as indicated. The top rail 30 is providedwith a hole centrally portable partition, and,

is adapted to divide it.

3,349,528 Patented Oct; 31, 1967 of its area as seen in plan and, inalignment therewith, a hole 42 is provided in a pillow block 44 which ismounted on the bottom rail 34. The hole is positioned so that it is inalignment with the aforesaid hole of top rail 30. A vertical reinforcingmember 52 is provided as close to the center as is practicable butspaced slightly apart from the hole in the top rail 30 and the hole 42in the pillow block 44. Lateral reinforcing members 54, 54', 56 and 56'may also be provided, it being noted that these members define a spacetherebetween, or a passthrough area between the outside panels 62 and 64which overlay the frame is defined between the lateral members 54 and56. This pass-through area is for the purpose of a telescoping tubesystem now to be described which serves for the purpose 'of connectingthe panel partition in position between the roof and floor of a room.The telescoping tube system generally designated by the numeral 72includes a lower tubular member 74 and an upper or inner tubular member76 which tubes can be longitudinally extended relative to each other toadjust the length of the system and thereafter to be secured in lockedengagement by means of the collar 78 having the wing nut tighteningmeans 80. In assembly, the connecting means is fitted with the lowermember 74 being passed through the frame so that the lower end 82 seatsin the hole 42 with the collar 76 resting on the upperor exteriorsurface of the upper rail 30. The upper end of the upper tube is fittedwith an extendible portion 84 and is preferably provided with adistalmost foot 86 to expand to and engage a ceiling while the inner endof the portion 84 engages a spring to keep it extended with respect to atransverse pin 79.

Means are provided to connect the various partitions thus assembledtogether, the said means comprising diagonally opposed recesses 92 and94 in the exterior of the-rails and oppositely and diametrically opposedpin means 96 and 98 arranged and carried by members 100 and 102 whichare in turn connected to the rails. The members 96 and 98 are receivablein mating sized recesses of joining panels when a wall is defined by thepartitions.

It has been found that a wall of this type of construction is preferablysized in four by eight 4 X 8) partitions with the connecting means ortube system being extendible to engage a ceiling which is fifteen feethigh. The spring pressure of the end of the telescopic tube system 72 onthe top surface of the lower rail 34 causes it to hug the floor alongits length and the lower end may be provided with a friction pad toresist movement of the partition on the'floor.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in whatis conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosedherein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles. Particularly, itwill be noted that the means to connect the partitions togethercomprising recessed finger members arranged in cantilever fashion overthe vertical supports so as to extend outwardly of the face and having adistally carried vertical pin extending toward the opposing rail andarranged for receipt in registry with holes located a correspondingdistance away from the face from an associated vertical member on theopposite end of a corresponding rail of a similar panel or unit permitsthe assembly of the unit in the fashion indicated in FIG. 1 particularlyadapting a system composed of such units for use as removable partitionsand of particular advantage in art galleries or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. For inclusion in a wall composed of a plurality of similar portablepanels and adapted to register in sideby-side relation with one another,a wall panel for positioning between the fioor and the ceiling of abuilding structure comprising:

a planiform frame of a vertical height less than the distance betweenthe floor and the ceiling and including spaced parallel upper and lowerrails and spaced parallel vertical supports with said supports and railsbeing connected together and outer covering panels dimensioned tocongruently overlay the main outer planes defined by the rails andsupports, said frame defining a right parallelepipedal inner cavity;

a telescoping tube system vertically secured centrally in the cavityincluding an outer tube vertically spanning the distance between theupper and lower rails and an inner tube carried in the outer tubeextendible with respect to the outer tube and frame beyond the upperrail, said tube system including means to lock the inner tube in apredetermined extended position with respect to the outer tube;

a foot on the distal extended end of the tube system to engage aceiling;

means to connect the frame of the panel to a frame of a similar panel ina wall assembly comprising;

a connector finger member at one end of each of said rails and indiametrically opposed relation with respect to said frame, each saidfinger member being secured in cantilever relation with the respectiveassociated rail of each finger and extending outwardly of the face ofits associated adjacent vertical support;

each said finger member including a pin projecting vertically toward theopposing rail of the frame to that on which it is carried, and

each said rail having a recess accessible from the outer surface at theend opposite to that on which the finger is carried, and spaced inwardly40 of the face of the vertical support of the frame immediately adjacentthereto a distance corresponding to the cantilever distance from theface of the other vertical support to the pin;

so that the panels may be placed in connected side-byside relation withthe pins in one panel in registry and nested in the recesses of theother panel and with the holes of said one panel receiving the pins ofan adjacent panel.

2. A wall of panels as set forth in claim 1 composed of a plurality ofsaid panels interconnected by said connector means.

3. A wall panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the finger of the lowerrail is imbedded in a recess on the lower face with the surface of thefinger member being flush with the lower face of the lower rail.

4. A wall panel as set forth in claim 3 wherein the 5 finger is securedto the rail by recess screws to present a flush lower panel surface torest on a floor.

5. A wall panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower face of thelower rail is provided with a pad of strip form to cushion the panel onthe floor.

6. A wall panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the telescoping tubesystem includes an extendible tubular portion with one end in the distalend of said inner tube and the foot on the outer end of the extendibletubular portion and includes spring means captivated in the distal endof the inner tube and yieldable on the application of compressive forcesto the foot and transmitted to it through said extendible portion toretract into said inner tube storing energy in said spring to hold awall panel in position with the foot resiliently pressing against aceiling surface.

7. A wall panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube system issecured medially of the cavity by means of a pillow block secured in thecavity to the lower rail and having a recess in the face thereof tosecure the 25 lower end of the outer tube with the other end of theouter tube being snugly nestled in a through hole in the upper railvertically above said recess.

8. A wall panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein reinforcing means areprovided to span the panel.

9. A wall panel as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means include avertical member which is offset with respect to the main vertical centerline of the cavity and is adjacent the lower tube of the tubular system.

10. A wall of panels as set forth in claim 6 composed 35 of a pluralityof said panels interconnected by said connector means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 215,348 5/1879 Gregg. 1,219,2083/1917 Zahner et al. 52-238 1,285,728 11/1918 Kalla 52-238 2,114,3884/1938 Killion 52-24 1 2,617,501 11/1952 Quelle 52-238 2,796,158 6/1957Miles et al 52-275 X 2,855,037 10/1958 Stitfel 160-135 2,944,678 7/ 1960Grantham 211-177 3,039,569 6/1962 Bohnsack 52-275 X 3,111,723 11/1963Bates 52-239 X FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

C. G. MUELLER, Assistant Examiner.

1. FOR INCLUSION IN A WALL COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF SIMILAR PORTABLEPANELS AND ADAPTED TO REGISTER IN SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION WITH ONE ANOTHER,A WALL PANEL FOR POSITIONING BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE CEILING OF ABUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A PLANIFORM FRAME OF A VERTICAL HEIGHTLESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE CEILING AND INCLUDINGSPACED PARALLEL UPPER AND LOWER RAILS AND SPACED PARALLEL VERTICALSUPPORTS WITH SAID SUPPORTS AND RAILS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER AND OUTERCOVERING PANELS DIMENSIONED TO CONGRUENTLY OVERLAY THE MAIN OUTER PLANESDEFINED BY THE RAILS AND SUPPORTS, SAID FRAME DEFINING A RIGHTPARALLELEPIPEDAL INNER CAVITY; A TELESCOPING TUBE SYSTEM VERTICALLYSECURED CENTRALLY IN THE CAVITY INCLUDING AN OUTER TUBE VERTICALLYSPANNING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER RAILS AND AN INNERTUBE CARRIED IN THE OUTER TUBE EXTENDIBLE WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTER TUBEAND FRAME BEYOND THE UPPER RAIL, SAID TUBE SYSTEM INCLUDING MEANS TOLOCK THE INNER TUBE IN A PREDETERMINED EXTENDED POSITION WITH RESPECT TOTHE OUTER TUBE; A FOOT ON THE DISTAL EXTENDED END OF THE TUBE SYSTEM TOENGAGE A CEILING;